Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
These small batch chocolate chip cookies are perfect for when you’re craving a cookie, but don’t want to make a full batch. This simple recipe yields just 8 to 10 cookies and includes several recipe variations too!
Do you ever find yourself craving a chocolate chip cookie, but not wanting to make a full batch? If so, I think you’re going to love this small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe!
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and it quickly became a reader favorite and one of mine too. Over the past few months I’ve been working on a cookie cookbook (yes, a cookbook is finally happening!) and I knew that this is one recipe that needed to be included in it. So today I wanted to update this recipe to make it even better and and share it with you again.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Requires only one bowl
- Makes just 8 to 10 cookies
- The cookies turn out super soft and chewy
- Just 10 minutes of dough chilling time
This recipe also makes a fantastic base for other cookies, so I’ve included instructions for how to make these cookies 4 different ways!
Recipe Ingredients
These easy small batch chocolate chip cookies use similar ingredients to my regular chocolate chip cookies with a few minor adjustments. Here’s what you will be using:
- Unsalted Butter: I highly recommend sticking with unsalted butter in this recipe. Since it makes such a small amount of cookies, this will allow you to control the amount of salt going into them.
- Sugar: You’ll be using a mixture of brown sugar and granulated sugar. The brown sugar adds moisture and creates a chewy cookie while the granulated sugar helps them spread.
- Egg Yolk: Since this recipe doesn’t make too many cookies, a whole egg is far too much. An egg yolk is the perfect amount to bind the dough together and add some moisture to it too. You can use the leftover egg white in another recipe like my candied pecans.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: For a little extra flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: This provides the structure for your cookies so that they don’t fall apart when you pick them up. I found that 1/2 cup of flour wasn’t quite enough and 2/3 cup was just a bit too much, so this recipe calls for 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Baking Soda & Salt: The baking soda helps lift the cookies and the salt enhances the flavors.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: When I originally posted this recipe, I only used 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. I’ve increased the amount to 1/2 cup so that you get some chocolate chips in every single bite!
How To Make A Small Batch Of Chocolate Chip Cookies
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, it’s time to prepare the cookies. To start, preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set the baking sheet aside and prepare your cookie dough.
To make the cookie dough, you’ll beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for a minute or two or until they’re well combined. You can also skip the mixer and just cream the butter and sugars together with a fork, so feel free to do whatever is easiest for you! Next, mix in the egg yolk and pure vanilla extract.
Once the wet ingredients are thoroughly combined, add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix them in until just combined. Then, add the semi-sweet chocolate chips (or your favorite mix-ins) and fold them into the cookie dough. At this point, you want to cover the cookie dough tightly and place it in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes.
After the 10 minutes, remove the cookie dough from the freezer and use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough onto your baking sheet. You should get about 8 to 10 cookies depending on how small or large you scoop them, but I usually get about 10.
Then, just bake the cookies for 10 t0 12 minutes or until they’re lightly browned around the edges and the tops are set. I suggest letting them cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, but they’re delicious right out of the oven too!
Recipe Variations
Want to try these cookies another way? You can leave out the 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and mix in the following ingredients for each type of cookie:
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut: Add 1/3 cup white chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of chopped macadamia nuts
- Chocolate M&M: Add 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of mini M&M’s
- Funfetti: Add 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of sprinkles
Baking Tips
- When measuring your flour, make sure to use the spoon and level method. Too much flour can lead to cookies that don’t spread very much in the oven.
- Feel free to use milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips in place of the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Don’t skip chilling the cookie dough in the freezer for 10 minutes. This will help ensure that the cookies don’t spread too much in the oven.
More Small Batch Recipes To Try!
- Chocolate Mug Cake
- Apple Crisp For Two
- Small Batch Peanut Butter Cookies
- Single Serving Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes For Two
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (70 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (90 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 1 to 2 minutes or until well combined.
- Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined. Then, mix in the semi-sweet chocolate chips on low-speed until fully incorporated into the cookie dough.
- Cover tightly and transfer to the freezer to chill for 10 minutes.
- Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure to leave a little room between each one.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown and the tops are set.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
came together so quick and easy – was too excited to put them in the oven and didn’t freeze them first but they turned out fine! so good 🙂
came out perfect
These came out so delicious that next time I’ll be doubling the recipe as my friends couldn’t get enough! I added 1/4 cup of homemade toffee pieces and 1/4 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips and the end result was incredible. Thank you so much for this recipe!
These came out so delicious! Honestly the best cookies I have ever made! My husband and son loved them! Thank you for sharing this recipe! Will be making these for the upcoming holidays.
Turned out delicious. I used mini choco chips cause it was all I had and made them smaller in size. I was able to get 12 smaller cookies out of the recipe. They were chocolatey and scrumptious!
Delicious cookies! I made them exactly as the recipe was written. The cookies are buttery and so tender.
Just the best chocolate chip cookie and perfect for just my husband and myself. I have printed out this recipe to use over and over. The way I scooped it made 11 cookies. Thanks for your great recipe!
These cookies were quite good, a little bit too sweet in my opinion, but great texture, my only issue was the dough comes together fairly dry, in the future I’ll reserve the egg white and add some in at the end if the dough is too dry again. Over all very good recipe, made about 9 cookies.
Omg
This will be a go to recipe.
Delish!!!!!!
This looks great and nice small batch; so helpful. Thanks!
I’ve tried a million cookie recipes but this one is by FAR the best one I’ve tried
One fine, no fuss recipe, elegant and delicioso! Thanks so much!
These came out soo good.
Im keeping This recipe close by it’s a 10/10. it’s now my go to recipe for chocolate chip cookies.
The Measurements were PERFECT!!
These were awesome! Chewy & delicious & a nice size with about 9 cookies. I actually followed the recipe exactly and added a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds (salted) to the top of about 1/2 of them – delicious! I had no walnuts but these worked good for a twist. Didn’t use an electric mixer either 🙂
I’d suggest chilling them 20 more minutes. Followed recipe exact and got pancakes.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing the cookie dough for another 20 minutes, it will start to become difficult to scoop. If you followed the recipe exactly and measured your flour correctly, I’d recommend adding 1 to 2 more tablespoons of flour next time you make them.
The 1st time I tried this recipe I doubled it and my cookies melted into one big cookie. The flavor was good but I really wanted regular cookies lol. I’m trying again now but with less egg and more flour.
The cookies do tend to spread more if you try to double this recipe. If you want more cookies, you could make a full or half batch of my regular chocolate chip cookie recipe instead. Hope that helps!
This cookie recipe was really good for my family!
I’ve made this several times now – delicious!
I add chopped walnuts to the recipe and ultimately make slightly bigger cookies (6 instead of 10 and baking at 12-14 minutes).
These came out absolutely delicious ! Perfect recipe no changes need to be made! Definitely adding some inches to my waistline with these lol